The Tickers Club

I think "ticker" implies something more and different than what the OP is talking about. I too want to try as many beers as possible and usually don't have the same one twice because, like the OP, I typically only have one per night because I feel my palate and judgment get compromised after that, and then I want to move on. But the reason I do it is because I'm in love beer and I want to explore and discover what all can be done via the brewer's art. I want to know what the next one is like. I don't care what the number winds up being and I don't pay attention to it. I do reviews because I want to remember what each was like so I can sum it up in my own head, so I can refer back later if I can't remember whether I've had it, so I can make recommendations to friends, so I can contribute to the community here in the same way I take from it, and so I can learn and zero in on the elements of beers I like best and look for more like those.

I think that ticking is ultimately more about the number. Like those Dutch guys on ratebeer who taste something like 200 beers in a weekend? Come on, that's nuts. After your 60th blond ale of the day, can you really tell me you remember what #24 was like or whether you liked #18 or whether, reading your own notes for #12 and #49, you can actually remember what they were like? They sit at the beer festivals with laptops and go assembly line style with little samples. And that old English guy pours beer into old water bottles at the pub and takes them home and keeps them in his closet just so he can eventually drink them and count them.

If that's what they enjoy doing as a hobby, that's great, but I feel like it's about the number, not the beer. I think if you are into trying lots of beers because you love beer, that makes you an enthusiast, an... advocate one might say. Ticking seems more like a mechanical OCD compulsion that's focused on numbers. The thing being ticked could be anything. The fact that it's beer seems incidental.

That is just sad. Doesn't seem to meet the definition of a BA to me. Bypassing good beer at a tasting because you've had it once before is not a good direction to see. At the bottle shop, I can see the justification. I doubt most anyone who considers themselves a ticker would refuse to taste a beer twice.

Everyone is entitled to enjoy beer as they see fit. I'm happy to see that more and more are joining in the enjoyment. In my opinion that level of refusal is the opposite of enjoyment and kind of snubbing the art of brewing.

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It's different if you're at a limited release event or a tasting with a lot of bottles. There isn't really a reason for me to drink let's says the Mother of All Storms, which I like a lot and have had numerous bottles of, at a tasting because it is a higher abv and will take the place of something new for me to try.

If any of you tickers are interested, I created an Excel file that queries a User's "Hads" or "Reviews" and pulls them into Excel where they can be sorted and filtered. I put in some color coding for beers rated above or below average. It also creates table so you can see how many beers of each style or brewery a user has rated. Send me a pm with your email if you are interested.

I'm a ticker, although I would say I'm about 50/50 new bears to already had beers. I get Costco cases for casual beers to relax with after work. If they have seasonal variety packs, I'll get those. For the occasional special bottle shop trips, I heavily lean towards new beers. For me, if I just drink the same few beers, even if they're my favorites, it gets pretty boring. I like new flavors and trying new things (beer & food alike). If I wasn't a ticker, I wouldn't have found many of my favorite beers, and I look forward to the many new favorites that I haven't tried yet.

For the most part I'm a ticker, not a BA reviewer though. Only use Untappd to rate and keep track of my brews and right now I'm @ 53% unique of my total. Love trying new things, but got to keep the staples on hand.

I guess I'm a ticker, though I've never called myself that. I'm also fairly new into craft beer, having only been drinking craft beer (or beer at all) for about 2 years. Other than a second pour from a bomber, I'm relatively certain that I've never drank the same beer twice in a row (or on the same day for that matter). As appropriately stated before in this thread- variety is the spice of life! And I think there are too many great beers out there to stick to just one. That's not to say I won't drink them again. I buy plenty of six packs and have even been known to get a case of my favorites.

I agree that "ticking" is generally a trait of us newercomers to the scene but doubt that I'll ever stop trying new beers. I happen to believe that everyone has their own tastes so I can't just write off a beer with a score of 83 as not being worth a try. I've had several lower rated beers that I thought were great and plenty of "world class" beers that I could take or leave. Plus- I really enjoy introducing my friends that have been drinking craft for several years to other great beers that they may have overlooked (and they seem to dig it too!).

At this point in my craft journey, a desired experience is much more important to me than a new experience.

con·nois·seur: A person of informed and discriminating taste

I get the impression that many tickers just don't have the experience (can be expected in the early years of discovery) or don't have discriminating taste, therefore a new experience is more important than a desired one since they don't know what they really desire (besides a new experience).

At this point in my craft journey, a desired experience is much more important to me than a new experience.

con·nois·seur: A person of informed and discriminating taste

I get the impression that many tickers just don't have the experience (can be expected in the early years of discovery) or don't have discriminating taste, therefore a new experience is more important than a desired one since they don't know what they really desire (besides a new experience).

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My desired experience is to try a new beer. How is anyone to know if an experience is a desired one if they never try it?

To suggest because you guys sit and drink the same beers over and over means you have more discriminating taste is preposterous.

If I have the choice between drinking a delicious beer I've had before or a new beer generally disliked here with a terrible score, I'll take the delicious one.

Never considered myself a ticker but some might call me just that which is fine. Not new to craft beer but in the past 6 or 7 years I've really been into trying new beers. In that time period I've tried over 800 beers.
For me personally, I don't count samples had at fests or beer at a bar. These are all full 12oz or 22oz or 750ml beers I've drank entirely myself. All are in my own database seperated by style and given a letter grade, not to style but personal taste. Similar styles are grouped together.

Tried reviewing early on here but got bored with it and just takes too much time.

Never get bored trying new beers. I hardly ever buy a 6/12/24 pack of a fav beer. But when I go on a run for new beers, esp when I want to try a brewery's full line, on any particular style, I'll buy my fav of that style to compare to the new one. So even if I get a crappy beer, I always have something good to drink.

Guess I'm always searching for the best beer in any given style. Long live the quest!

I like to write long, humorous to myself reviews and post them on my blog.
I'll never review a beer twice, but I often drink without taking a record of it.
I do use untappd as well, but that was more for blog exposure than logging.

The debate of a desired experience vs a new experience above seems a bit black and white to me. Like Hanzo said a desired experience can be the new experience. I also see Longstaff's point and feel that sometimes a desired beer experience is something I want more than exciting. I feel like these two can coexist. I love trying new beers, I don't personally see a reason not to try everything I can, but I also love the idea of having something I know I truly enjoy. Sometimes one beats out the other, but I feel a good mix is key to a great beer life.

I guess I'm a ticker, though I've never called myself that. I'm also fairly new into craft beer, having only been drinking craft beer (or beer at all) for about 2 years. Other than a second pour from a bomber, I'm relatively certain that I've never drank the same beer twice in a row (or on the same day for that matter). As appropriately stated before in this thread- variety is the spice of life! And I think there are too many great beers out there to stick to just one. That's not to say I won't drink them again. I buy plenty of six packs and have even been known to get a case of my favorites.

I agree that "ticking" is generally a trait of us newercomers to the scene but doubt that I'll ever stop trying new beers. I happen to believe that everyone has their own tastes so I can't just write off a beer with a score of 83 as not being worth a try. I've had several lower rated beers that I thought were great and plenty of "world class" beers that I could take or leave. Plus- I really enjoy introducing my friends that have been drinking craft for several years to other great beers that they may have overlooked (and they seem to dig it too!).